Chapter 42
A daily newspaper company in the United States.
"Daniel."
"Yes, Manager. I pumped out a really killer article, right?"
"Scrap it and write it again."
At Manager Harry's firm words, Daniel reflexively asked back, "Excuse me?"
"What's missing? Isn't this enough to really grab attention?"
- Savior Person123 reveals his true colors: threatening Nations Worldwide using the Nightmare Difficulty climb as an excuse...
Manager Harry rubbed his forehead and let out a sigh.
"It might grab attention, but you can't do it like this right now. Don't even think about publishing a single speck of a negative article about Person123."
"Huh? No, why..."
"If you don't want both your neck and mine to fly off together, just go rewrite it."
Daniel's eyes widened. Manager Harry glared as if he was suddenly pissed off.
"No, but seriously, you punk, no matter how clueless you are about the current situation, do you really want to write an article like this? Huh? He's someone who has saved the World multiple times."
"Since when did you care about having a conscience..."
"Talk back one more time and something's going to fly at you. Get out!"
After kicking Daniel out of the office, Manager Harry let out another sigh.
The present is after Person123 made the shocking declaration that he would not challenge the 4th Floor.
Whether major or minor, not a single line of negative news about Person123 was appearing in the media across the United States, to a bizarre degree. Even if one did come out, it was quickly buried.
Manager Harry didn't know the exact details either.
He had only heard hints from the Editor-in-Chief that the waaaay... top figures in politics, regardless of their party, were all united in doing everything in their power to control public opinion.
It was such a bizarre occurrence that he wondered if there had ever been a case like this before.
Still, having rolled around in this media industry for nearly 20 years, he had some sense of things.
After all, it was obvious if you thought about it.
Person123 said he wouldn't challenge the 4th Floor unless the Government and the Association reached an agreement.
The very fact that Person123, who had silently focused only on the Nightmare climb all this time, opened his mouth about this matter was an unprecedented situation.
Looked at another way, it could be interpreted to mean that he viewed the current situation with just as much displeasure.
What if they tried to form negative public opinion against Person123 in this situation?
What if he really ended up quitting the Nightmare climb because of it?
It would be something no one could handle, and something that could never be undone.
Waging a public opinion war against an opponent who held the lifeline of 8 billion people was nonsense to begin with.
An agreement? They had to do it. What else could they do?
The very fact that they were paying this much attention to ensure no nonsense leaked out in the media meant they had already reached that conclusion.
They needed to carefully wrap up the current situation without provoking Person123, so the atmosphere couldn't be allowed to turn weird.
The Climber's Association side was likely in a similar situation.
Still, since they had been at each other's throats until now, they were probably trying to dress it up nicely and wrap things up while saving face for both sides.
Even so, wouldn't the Government consider it somewhat fortunate from its perspective?
After all, Person123 didn't show himself taking the Association's side just because he was a Climber.
"...It's truly terrifying."
Manager Harry muttered as he buried his back deep into his chair.
Wasn't it the case that all those higher-ups were sweating and holding their breath at a single cough from Person123?
He realized it all over again: just who the single person holding up the current World all by himself was.
---
After Person123 posted his message in the communication window, the communication window also exploded.
\[Tyrannosaurus: No, wait a minute, is this real life?\]
\[Hanata: What are you talking about, Person123... Why are you being so scary?\]
\[Baeksu: Person123 is seriously pissed off...\]
\[Pungcha: No joke, this is really serious, isn't it? Has Person123 ever made such an active statement before?\]
\[Sutjasegi: Active or not, he hasn't made any statements at all. This is unprecedented.\]
Aside from posting information over the past few years, he was someone who could be counted on one hand for writing anything at all.
Furthermore, this was his first time intervening in a political matter like this.
\[Geumbungeo: Well, both sides really do need to knock it off. How long are they going to fight?\]
\[Gwanghwiuijachwi: No, but honestly, shouldn't Person123 take the Climbers' side...? Is being neutral right?\]
\[Riyeon: That's disappointing. Is he really coming out like this when he's an Unregistered Climber himself?\]
Some climbers in the communication window voiced their dissatisfaction with Person123, but...
\[Eunhagye: These bastards are going as far as cursing at Person123 now. Have you lost your minds?\]
\[Ruby: Did you forget who you have to thank for being able to breathe and live right now?\]
\[Hwaksin: Person123 did well by stepping up. The communication window has been a mess lately anyway.\]
They were quickly swept away and vanished under the much more overwhelming public opinion defending him.
Who would have the right to curse at the man who had already saved Humanity three times?
Since it was the Association's side that had been instigating public opinion in the communication window all this time, it was especially quick to form a favorable public opinion.
This was because the Association wouldn't be able to handle the aftermath if the atmosphere shifted toward Person123 being reprimanded.
"I heard Person123 laid down a strict warning, telling the Government and the Association to reach an agreement quickly."
"They were fighting and beating each other up so much that Person123 had to step in."
"...But surely he won't actually refuse to challenge the 4th Floor if they don't reach an agreement, right?"
The people who had been siding with the Government, and even those who had little interest in the situation, focused their attention on how things would unfold.
Here too, cursing or criticizing Person123 was a very tiny minority opinion.
A person who was saving Humanity in real time by climbing the Nightmare Difficulty without any compensation.
Even if it was a political issue, Person123 was not someone to whom anyone could dare say, "Who are you to interfere?" His past actions and achievements made that impossible.
And it wasn't like he unconditionally took the Climbers' side just because he was a Climber himself.
He had stepped up purely for the public interest of stopping the fight between the Government and the Association, although the threat he added was somewhat terrifying.
The anxiety and fear of "What if he really doesn't challenge the 4th Floor?" also encroached upon the people.
Therefore, the place where the arrows would be aimed was already decided.
"Reach an agreement already! How long are you going to keep this up!"
"Everyone is going to die because of you!"
As the public opinion criticizing the Government and the Association grew rapidly, articles came out as if they had been waiting for this.
- The US Government, Pushing for Consultation with the Association...
A certain secret meeting in Washington.
The Association President of the Climber's Association and the Chief of Staff to the President of the United States sat facing each other, wrapping up a long conversation. It was a preliminary coordination before the official consultation.
"...Then it's settled that we will only accept Mandatory Registration."
"Just make sure there's no noise, since you've incited the Climbers so much."
"Hah, isn't it the same for both of us."
Through this incident, both sides achieved their own results, separate from the content of the negotiation.
The Government side was able to confirm Person123's stance.
The fact that he, a Climber, declared neutrality instead of taking the Climbers' side was at least a fortunate thing for the Government. If he had openly taken the Climbers' side, just imagining it was terrible.
The Association side also found this method of tying up loose ends to be quite satisfactory.
Although Person123 declared neutrality, he was ultimately a Climber too.
His threat not to climb the tower subtly engraved into people's minds who held the hilt of the sword between the Climbers and the Government. The Government would never again think of recklessly provoking the Climbers.
They shook hands out of courtesy while harboring different thoughts, and then dispersed.
---
After I posted the message, the communication window and the media naturally went into an uproar.
Honestly, I didn't feel very comfortable.
Because doing this was ultimately no different from making a threat while holding people's lives hostage.
Of course, I had no intention of actually not climbing the tower, but the fear people would feel because of my statement was real.
So I was telling them to stop their damn fighting and resolve things already.
But what if it had no effect even after I went this far? That was my worry.
Fortunately, however, it seemed the medicine worked quite well.
\[Chicken Sandwich: They say consultations between the two sides are already taking place behind the scenes. It's information from inside the White House, so I think you just need to wait and see a bit more.\]
Billon relayed the message that an agreement would be reached before long.
From what I heard, it would end with the Association side only accepting Mandatory Registration.
"That's a relief."
What was surprising was that I could hardly see any negative news or articles about me.
I thought I would get cursed at a little bit, so it was fascinating.
There was one thing even more fascinating than that.
Or, rather than fascinating, I should say it was absurd.
While walking yesterday, I saw a few people protesting on the street holding picket signs.
"The Climber's Association and the Governments must awaken and immediately reach an agreement according to the will of The One!"
"It is a revelation from our Savior, Person123! Reach an agreement!"
...I'm talking about a protest being held by none other than the Followers from the Person123 Church.
I roughly knew about it from watching the news.
The cults that have been revering me lately... Should I call them Cults, or what should I call them?
Anyway, they said various religions like that were popping up.
They said the Person123 Church was the representative one among them, expanding its scale the fastest worldwide.
"Noona?"
The absurd part was that there was a familiar face among the people protesting.
"Huh? Seohyeon?"
"...What are you doing here?"
Jiwu noona, who was a pretty close senior back when I was in college.
I was dumbfounded to see her again in such an unimaginable state.
I thought she was someone far removed from things like this, so what in the world had happened?
"Ah, this isn't anything weird! You know about the Person123 Church too, right?"
Taking a brief moment to chat, she enthusiastically explained the religion to me.
"So, Person123 is the Savior of Humanity, and we're just earnestly believing in and following The One."
"Well... isn't it ultimately something like that? A Cult..."
"Hey! Don't speak so carelessly! The One is actually saving the World!"
"Ah, yes, that's true."
"You, I, and all of us are safely living today thanks to The One's devotion. Right? How is it a Cult when we believe in someone who actually exists?"
While saying that, she even recommended that I join the religion.
"It's really not anything weird, and only good people join, you know? Don't think of it too religiously, just think of it as an organization that believes in and supports The One."
"Ah, no, I'm fine."
"Aw, well, if you ever change your mind later, feel free to contact me!"
It was already weird enough that there was a religion believing in me, but seeing even my acquaintance claiming to be a Believer. How should I explain this feeling?
Anyway, something like that had happened too.
- The US Government and the Climber's Association have reached a dramatic agreement. They reported that they were able to narrow the gap between their positions through sincere dialogue...
Just as Billon said, it seemed the fight between the Government and the Association was finally coming to an end.
Starting with the US Government, the governments of other nations that had conflicts with the Association also ended their confrontations one by one.
Like that, it fortunately seemed to be wrapping up well.
Of course, the fundamental problem itself couldn't be resolved in any way.
At least tens of thousands of people every year.
As I cleared the Nightmare Floor by Floor, the Climbers who didn't climb the tower would have to continue dying or turn into monsters.
That was an unchanging reality.